Vancouver Is Awesome, and we are dedicated to everything that makes it that way.

If you want to read ugly, bad news about this beautiful city of ours, you’re going to have to look to traditional media and other blogs; V.I.A. promotes everything that makes our city awesome, from old to new and everything inbetween. We’re like the human interest piece on the news… only different.

Year after year we have been voted Vancouver's "Best Local Blog" by readers of the Georgia Straight.

Browsing “Vancouver History”

From 1977 to 1979 The René Simard Show was produced in Vancouver (by Alan Thicke!) and featured an array of celebrity guests. Aired on CBUT (CBC) its format was that of a variety show much like the one and only Talent Time, the live show that we sponsor each month. This quick clip from it is a glimpse into a strange sort of mania that they ran, along with some incredible outfits (that jumpsuit!).

Talent Time is one-of-a-kind these days, as this type of show mostly disappeared in the 80’s and made way for slightly more tame ones like The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos. Below is an interview with host René and producer Alan back in the heyday when the show was at its peak. If I come across any full episodes of it online I’ll be sure to share them, but this is all I could dig up for now.

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Vancouver Heritage Foundation is a registered charity supporting the conservation of heritage buildings and structures in recognition of their contribution to the city’s economy, sustainability and culture.

Map 146 Historical Atlas of Vancouver. Derek Hayes 2005 p.81

If you’ve never wandered the quiet and expansive streets of Shaughnessy (or gotten lost in its roundabout roads), you may wonder why “First Shaughnessy” is named specifically in the City of Vancouver’s Heritage Action Plan. Judging by three sold out VHF walking tours on the topic, “Shaughnessy Heights: the Swellest and Most Beautiful Neighbourhood”, with a waitlist for a potential fourth, there is definitely interest and curiosity in the future of this historic neighbourhood.

“First Shaughnessy, the grandest subdivision in the city, is known for its ‘estate-like quality’ and its leafy ambience. The original building envelopes generally had a smaller footprint, usually about 2,000 square feet per floor, and a taller height – averaging about 42 feet. This allowed more site area for landscaping to frame the heritage ‘English Picturesque Aesthetic,’ the estate-like quality that Vancouver residents treasure.”

Shaughnessy consists of three subdivisions – First, Second and Third Shaughnessy. First Shaughnessy was developed in 1907 by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company to entice the city’s elite to move from the West End to the newly-cleared area on the hill above 16th Avenue up to King Edward Avenue, with lots a minimum of 10,000 square feet. Curving streets were laid out on topographical lines, rather than the grid system common in most of Vancouver. Second Shaughnessy was created with smaller lots between King Edward and 37th Avenues. Third Shaughnessy followed in the late 1920s.”

There’s plenty of opportunity to join Heritage Action Plan (HAP) discussions and we encourage you to do so. Public consultation is a hugely beneficial part of the process and a great time to share your opinions and thoughts about the future of Vancouver’s heritage. VHF has created a page to help you understand the HAP as it progresses, as well as list relevant events. Check it out here.

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I’m not sure what the average CFMI (Rock 101) listener looks like these days but back in 1985 they apparently owned sailboats and drove bitchin’ convertibles.

This clip is one of many gems that Rob Richardson has dug up from his collection. The source is a vast archive of VHS tapes that he recorded himself or has managed to collect from thrift stores, flea markets, storage lockers, yard sales, contacts with people in other parts of Canada and the U.S., and anywhere he can manage. He’s driven over to Vancouver Island and as far down as Olympia, Washington to rescue analogue goodness before they’ve wound up in the scrapper and we’re happy to bring you a Vancouver-centric clip each week.

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Vancouver Heritage Foundation is a registered charity supporting the conservation of heritage buildings and structures in recognition of their contribution to the city’s economy, sustainability and culture.

This Monday, February 16th is National Heritage Day and from February 16-22nd it’s Heritage Week in BC! VHF is hosting a number of events, lectures, walks and talks around the city with this year’s theme “Main Streets: At The Heart of the Community“.

To register and find out more click here. Call the VHF office at 604-264-9642 to be put on the waitlists.

Vancouver’s Main Streets: City Walks Civic historian, John Atkin will explore the history, changing fortunes and present-day opportunities of three of Vancouver’s main streets past and present, each at the heart of the community.

Over the years the City of Vancouver Archives have done a great job of digitizing much of their collection of more than 1,000,000 photos of our city’s past, making them available for everyone to enjoy. And while nerds like me tend to do searches just to look at the images on their website there are so many that are available in high resolution, for free, that are just begging to get printed onto paper. They’re free mostly because after a certain amount of time the copyright on photos expires, putting them into the public domain; anyone can then use them for any purpose.

We’ve put together 12 incredible public domain black and white images from the Archives in this slideshow below, linking to the high resolution JPG file for each of them. Click the link of the one you want, download it, get it printed and then hang it on your wall! Or visit the archives search tool HERE and find your own. Just make sure you do an ‘Advanced Search’ and under the ‘Copyright Status’ tab on the left click ‘Public Domain’ and all the images that come up are yours.

12 Historical Aerial Photos of Vancouver

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Click the links in each slide for detailed images, which you should get printed and hang in your house!

City Hall – 1945

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8 years after it opened, and 23 years before the East Wing was added.

Fraser River – 1948

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This photo shows some of the effects of the most disastrous flood ever to flow over the banks of the Mighty Fraser.

Stanley Park – 1926

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12 years before the Lions Gate Bridge was built.

Lions Gate Bridge – 1940s

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There she is! And with a sweet biplane flying over her to boot.

False Creek Shipyards – 1942

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Before the Olympic Village was a twinkle in anybody’s eye, the zone was industrial. Also, the city works yard is visible on the left… and one of those buildings might still be standing today!

Britannia Mine – 1927

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The X-Files filmed at this building on the Sea-to-Sky highway after it passed its prime (and before it was restored and turned into the Mining Museum). Here it is during its glory days.

Horseshoe Bay – 1937

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No ferry waits.

UBC – 1920’s

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Where to begin? Things have changed a LOT out at UBC since this was taken.

Kits Beach – 1945

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You can see Kits pool, Kits Point and also the Royal Canadian Air Force Equipment Depot in the background there.

The PNE Grounds – 1961

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Empire Stadium when it was fairly new (it was built 7 years earlier) with natural grass as its surface stands out top right.